Narrative:

While in cruise flight (FL350) between dsm and obh (dsm J10 obh) on J10, captain discovered that first officer failed to make a turn at des moines to proceed direct to omaha. Instead, first officer remained on J10 and was headed toward obh. Approximately halfway between dsm and obh, center was notified by captain and correction to course was initiated. Shortly after a new clearance was obtained from center to proceed direct to a subsequent fix (hays center) on the original flight plan. This deviation from flight plan was caused in part by the captain's practice of keeping the flight plan to himself. Although there was communication between the first officer and the captain as to the tuning of VOR's with inbound/outbnd courses, the captain missed the first officer's mistake in routing and not having the flight plan readily available to refer to the first officer failed to catch his own error. Most capts that this first officer has flown with do not keep the flight plan to themselves, but instead leave it out and readily accessible to any of the crew members who might want to refer to it. After discussing the mistake, I think this captain may change his habit and put the flight plan out where all can look and see it easily. ZMP never seemed concerned with our deviation and in fact never appeared to even know that we were off our flight planned route. Even after the captain informed them that we were approximately 30 mi north of the flight planned course, center still did not seem concerned. We received an amended clearance to rejoin our original flight planned route and continued our trip uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT DOES NOT TURN TO OUTBOUND RADIAL AND FLIES 30 MILES OFF COURSE.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT (FL350) BTWN DSM AND OBH (DSM J10 OBH) ON J10, CAPT DISCOVERED THAT F/O FAILED TO MAKE A TURN AT DES MOINES TO PROCEED DIRECT TO OMAHA. INSTEAD, F/O REMAINED ON J10 AND WAS HEADED TOWARD OBH. APPROX HALFWAY BTWN DSM AND OBH, CENTER WAS NOTIFIED BY CAPT AND CORRECTION TO COURSE WAS INITIATED. SHORTLY AFTER A NEW CLRNC WAS OBTAINED FROM CENTER TO PROCEED DIRECT TO A SUBSEQUENT FIX (HAYS CENTER) ON THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN. THIS DEVIATION FROM FLT PLAN WAS CAUSED IN PART BY THE CAPT'S PRACTICE OF KEEPING THE FLT PLAN TO HIMSELF. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS COM BTWN THE F/O AND THE CAPT AS TO THE TUNING OF VOR'S WITH INBND/OUTBND COURSES, THE CAPT MISSED THE F/O'S MISTAKE IN RTING AND NOT HAVING THE FLT PLAN READILY AVAILABLE TO REFER TO THE F/O FAILED TO CATCH HIS OWN ERROR. MOST CAPTS THAT THIS F/O HAS FLOWN WITH DO NOT KEEP THE FLT PLAN TO THEMSELVES, BUT INSTEAD LEAVE IT OUT AND READILY ACCESSIBLE TO ANY OF THE CREW MEMBERS WHO MIGHT WANT TO REFER TO IT. AFTER DISCUSSING THE MISTAKE, I THINK THIS CAPT MAY CHANGE HIS HABIT AND PUT THE FLT PLAN OUT WHERE ALL CAN LOOK AND SEE IT EASILY. ZMP NEVER SEEMED CONCERNED WITH OUR DEVIATION AND IN FACT NEVER APPEARED TO EVEN KNOW THAT WE WERE OFF OUR FLT PLANNED RTE. EVEN AFTER THE CAPT INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE APPROX 30 MI N OF THE FLT PLANNED COURSE, CENTER STILL DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED. WE RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO REJOIN OUR ORIGINAL FLT PLANNED RTE AND CONTINUED OUR TRIP UNEVENTFULLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.